LA Galaxy Foundation launches Fifth Annual Reading Garden Challenge

The LA Galaxy Foundation, in partnership with Home Depot Center Charitable Foundation, is inviting Carson, Compton, Gardena, Hawthorne, Hermosa Beach, Lakewood, Lawndale, Lomita, Long Beach, Lynwood, Manhattan Beach, Redondo Beach, San Pedro and Torrance area elementary schools to participate in the 2013 Reading Garden Challenge, a joint initiative of the LA Galaxy Foundation and The Home Depot Center Charitable Foundation, to encourage literacy and highlight Earth Day. For the fifth consecutive year, the Foundations will provide a custom-built Reading Garden at a local elementary school, designed to give children an enjoyable, outdoor environment in which they grow a life-long love of reading.

The Reading Garden Challenge calls for schools and students (grades K-5) to focus on Earth Day (April 22, 2013) as part of their literacy efforts by reading (or being read to) Earth Day-themed books for 30 minutes a day for 30 days (February 14-March 15, 2013) and log their minutes. The school that logs the most reading minutes will have a Reading Garden built at their school. The second place finishing school will receive a visit by an LA Galaxy player and the third place finishing school will receive a visit by the Galaxy Street Team, Star Squad and Cozmo, the club’s mascot.

In case of a tie, the schools with the most Reading Garden Challenge reading minutes logged will be entered into a random drawing conducted by the LA Galaxy Foundation and The Home Depot Center Charitable Foundation. The winning school will have a Reading Garden built at their school by the LA Galaxy Foundation and The Home Depot Center Charitable Foundation.

Schools interested in participating are encouraged to review the challenge criteria and download the poster guidelines by visiting www.lagalaxy.com/community/reading-garden. All students who participate in the challenge will be awarded a Reading Garden Challenge bookmark or book cover. Past winners include Chapman Elementary School, President Avenue Elementary School, Stephen C. Foster Elementary School and Carson’s Leapwood Avenue Elementary School.

For additional information about the Challenge and how you can participate, please contact Lauren Nowinski, LA Galaxy Manager of Community Relations and the LA Galaxy Foundation at 310-630-2224.